The motive behind the pitch was safety. Wainwright spotted Molina moving to a place that made him vulnerable for the pitch he was about to see – as if the catcher was expecting a curveball and there, in Wainwright’s grip, was a fastball.

“I saw him shift outside and I was looking at a different part of the plate,” Wainwright explained after the Cardinals’ 2-1 loss to the Cubs. “When I saw that, instantly – and I saw it before – I thought he was looking for a breaking ball and I had fastball grip. I did not want to throw a ball and hit him in the collarbone or something and have Yadier out. I pull-hooked it and erred on the side of not hitting him – by 20, 30 yards.”

Wainwright was also up 0-2 on opposing pitcher Jake Arrieta, so he also knew he could waste a pitch.

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